The Contingency of Plants

Purple Heart:

I had seen this plant in several different places and had been thinking about it a lot as we are considering ideas for landscaping, but it had really been a fleeting thought until we went to the "Gotta Be NC" festival. As we traversed the grounds, we wandered slightly off course and found some awesome plants...that were labeled.

[Side note: I love labeled plants because then when I think they are cool, I can just read the label and know what I want. I adopted this obsession after the first time Jason took me to the NC State Arboretum; it is full of awesome plants and most of them are labeled. This is how we discovered we wanted Flying Dragon trees (pictured below) and began to grow them.]

Back to Purple Heart...Upon seeing what I now know as Purple Heart, I told Jason it would be a great potential plant for our ditch-line. We want a plant to fill our ditch line so dogs aren't drying to use the bathroom in it and so that we don't have to worry about cutting it; neither of us are in favor of lawn maintenance. Then before I know what has happened, I am touching the Purple Heart and find out it has a soft, luxurious feel; now I am addicted.

Time for the research to begin.

Hmm...according to Creaturesinnature.com Purple Heart are... "Grown for it’s thick, succulent like leaves, the flowers are totally secondary. Amazing purple color on a tropical looking plant. Purple Hart is a herbaceous perineal in the metro Atlanta area, but an annual any farther north. Grows to about 14” tall, unless planted close together, then it will start growing on top of itself and could get as high as 24”or more. Spreads to around 24”.

Plant in full sun, in moderately fertile soil. Drought tolerant, once established"

Words I like: perennial, annual, drought tolerant, moderately fertile

GardeningCentral.org [they] makes some interesting points, stating the Tradescantia pallida is "quite an invasive plant, that will fairly quickly take over an area, smothering out other plants in the process..." Invasive is definitely a word I approve of. We are looking for some self-sufficient plants for our ditch-line; we want plants that can withstand neighborhood dogs and serve as a border between our yard and the road without looking tacky. They also state that it can "tolerate...frost;" I assume this is a positive trait for NC weather issues. It also says the plant "prefers a rich moist soil, but...will grow in many types of soil," and "will rebound quite well if over-watered," which is similar to our Flying Dragons. The main negative that I see here is that it apparently needs to be "pruned periodically,"otherwise it will take over; however, the fact that it is great "in rock garden[s]" could work well for the stone we want while the stone can also keep it in check!

Loving it more and more!!

I want to find a small, green, bushy plant to border the Purple Heart: It will look tailored and will possibly stay somewhat contained without too much physical exertion. The only suggestion I have found so far is that it may grow well with the asparagus fern (gardeningcentral.org), but I will have to do more research into what that is and what it looks like.

Elephant Ears

The other plant that I am most interested in right now is called "Elephant Ears." They actually come in several different colors and patterns, so they add a lot of flair to a flower bed! I still have a lot of research to do on these, but I think they are a lot of fun...There are several pictures below!

Well I haven't looked up too much so far...but at this moment, it does not seem to promising. According to the ASPCA, elephant ears are "Toxic to Dogs, Toxic to Cats." Now the likelihood of Jasper eating a random plant from the flower bed, low, but the toxicity is rather disappointing because I don't particularly want to be the cause of someone else's pet dying either. Now I have to find out more...

According to about.com, elephant ears can also be black and are then referred to as "Black Magic"-way cool!...perennials in warm climates, annuals in cold climates. They are a little needy compared to the other plants we are looking at; they need more acidic soil and prefer wetter areas. The nice part about this is that it means we could probably plant them around the HVAC or where the gutters drain for a good use of the soppy soil, without trying to plant something that will drown in excessive water and they need to be planted 2-4" below the surface.

Well- it looks like we won't be growing elephant ears. As beautiful as I think they are and as much as I really want them, they are not worth the hassle or the danger to our son.

Goodbye Elephant Ears :'(

The Feat of Landscaping

1420 from the front:

(Better pictures soon, but this is from online)

Jason hates the idea of cutting grass, and I hate the prospect of a yard with no flora or fauna. There begins our task. We will boldly bring the rocks of Arizona landscaping to rural Raleigh, NC. We will seduce the bees with sweet scents of color. We will cut down many trees. Okay, so the last part doesn't sound quite as cool, but this does sum up what we are going to attempt to do.

We are currently seeking awesome landscaping ideas (the less-than-awesome need not apply) for our front yard. Some of the following ideas are striking our fancy (or really just techniques that I think are cool.)

I definitely like rock borders around the beds; this gives an organized, yet natural look, and I really like rocks.

We both also like the idea of very low maintenance. I am looking for plants and flowers that I can throw in the ground and not touch.

Like this:

...or like Purple Heart (I love purple heart)

...and maybe some elephant ears-love these too :)

I think that Jason want's some rocks everywhere...if there are rocks, he can't use a mower :)

I actually got an awesome idea from the picture below; I am thinking that instead of pretty red mulch that will turn brown soon, we can get red stone that will stay red longer :) Color=yay!

Comments and suggestions are welcome! We are so excited about our new home!

Let the StReSs Begin

It is official.

We (Jason) have signed the official paperwork for a house!! We (us) decided to accept the bank's counter-offer, and we are in our "Due Diligence" period: The time we get from the seller (a bank) to decide that something is wrong enough with the home to legally back out. At the end of this week, we will no longer be able to back out and still get our Due Diligence money back. So we (our realtor) met the inspection guys this afternoon so that we could be assured our home is of the quality we wish to purchase.

Well, it looks like our inspections have been great so far and we are working on securing our loan for the home; this should be done by the end of this week, but in the mean-time, we (Jason) is searching for the best loan as we (I) learn what all the terminology actually means, for example, points, PMI, APR, closing costs, etc. Once all of this is solidified, we can begin the actually closing for our house. Yay!

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EOCs :)

The current bane of my existence. Are my students going to pass? Are my students going to study? Are my students going to remember what I taught them? Am I going to properly read the Test Administrator booklet? Ha!

What if they don't pass? What if I have to go to Portfolio? What am I going to do???

I refuse to give EOCs a larger space than what is above. I will not let them override all that am...

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Packing my classroom...

Do I pack my classroom? Should I pack my classroom? When do I have to accept that I may not have a job next year, so I need to pack my classroom? I don't want anything to happen to my school belongings. Please don't steal what belongs to me. Please don't think what belongs to me actually belongs to the school-it doesn't; it is mine.

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Ah. That was a nice stress relief. Now I can go to bed next to the incredible man that decided to love me. I have an absolutely amazing life: I love my job, I love my husband, and we are supremely blessed.

The Undertaking of Eternity

One month.

I have been married to Jason Scott Edwards for one month (and one day). We have been busy people; I thought that once we finished with the wedding, and all the planning that went with it, that our lives would slow down. WRONG!

So far the list has consisted of...

~Moving in with Jason, which entailed packing all my junk, cleaning out space to store all my junk, and not knowing where any of my junk is now that I have moved it.

~Both of our jobs picking up-Jason with summer coming and me with EOCs fast approaching

~Searching for a house, putting offers in on houses, and as of today...possibly buying a house. YAY!

~Jason impaling himself with a hammer and needing surgery

~Having the official married life which requires me to actually do things like laundry and dishes!

I love married life! Jason and I are incredibly blessed to have such amazing families; great jobs; stable finances; an amazing pup, Jasper; a belief in the one true Gospel; and so many other incredible people and small blessings received on a daily basis.

I hope that as we embark on a true adventure that I will actually keep track of it all. Partly for entertainment and partly for posterity's sake. Our engagement story and photos are all located on our wedding website: http://www.mywedding.com/adventurus/

We will be updating it soon with wedding photos for all those who are following it.

More exploits to come.

Cassie Dennison Edwards

Updating

I have decided that in between my big posts detailing our crazy excursions, maybe I should try to keep up with the just as crazy, little moments of adventure that help make life go round!

Most recent "Crazy-but not so-Little Moment": Broughton High School

I was offered a job at Broughton High School two weeks ago! Although I will be on a terminating contract, this is certainly the opportunity of a lifetime.

I know that this great blessing comes from trusting in the Lord and obeying his commandments. By showing I have the faith that obedience brings blessings and the faith that he will provide for me, I moved to Raleigh and now have the amazing opportunity to teach at one of the most prestigious public high schools in the area.

It is true that those who exercise faith and make the steps they can, will be truly blessed. I am.

As I embark on the adventure of a "big girl job" I will keep the world updated via a new addition to this blog that I am making called "Ridding myself of the Stigma" hehe. In case you don't understand, I want to no longer be referred to as a "first-year teacher" and the only way to do that is to teach for my first year :) Yay!!

I got a job. I got a job. I got a job!!!

Epic Fail in the world of blogging, that is what I am!

I officially moved out of the house I was renting on July 24th and I have been living at my parent's house ever sense. I cannot believe it has been a month sense I reverted to less-adult ways of life. Broke, living with my parents, and apparently un-hire-able. The three best ways to describe me at the moment don't really hold out much hope as to my moving to Raleigh or to my getting a job, or my surviving. Ha.

The job hunt has been more than stressful, although I do have to admit that I have had a few exciting moments along the way...

I have applied to, um let's see...

Person, Leesville, Sanderson, Enloe, Broughton, Southeast Raleigh, Southern Lee, Bunn, Cummings, Franklin Early College, Graham, Granville, Heritage, Hillside New Tech, Millbrook, Phoenix Academy, Roanoke Valley Early College, Rolesville, Southern Vance, Wakefield, Williams, Fuquay-Varina, Clayton, Halifax Early College, Southern, Franlkinton, Southern School of Engineering, East Wake School of Engineering, East Wake School of Integrated Technology, Durham Performance Learning Center, West Johnston, and Panther Creek (just to name a few!!!)

Now technically, two of those schools I didn't officially apply to on my own, they actually contacted me and asked me to apply because they somehow got my name and were interested in interviewing me. One of those also passed my name on to another school! I only interviewed at three school, two of which were those who contacted me on their own and one of those two actually offered me a job!!

So if I got offered a job, why is it I have remained jobless, you ask?! That would be because I turned it down...sometimes through the power of prayer and faith, you just know that something isn't right-and this was the case here.

I freaked out, prayed, got a blessing, and was all better :)

While at my parents house, I have felt completely useless, standing still while everyone waits for me to leave. Well, now it is time.

I finally got a job :)

Sylvan Learning Center. Although this is not the job I was searching for, it is none-the-less a job and one that can help strengthen my resume and make me more marketable for next year!!

So I am "living" in Raleigh. A better term for what I'm doing would probably be "extended sleepover!" Thanks to some amazing people that love me, I have had somewhere to stay ever since I got a job here in Raleigh and I plan to get a place of "my own" as soon as I can increase my funds enough to do so.

It is hard for me. I am not the person who typically goes forth without a plan, yet here I am, without much set ahead of time, changing day to day what is going to work to get me by so I can continue with the overall plan. If all goes well, in a year (or less) I will have a classroom and students and be living my dream!...but until then, I know I am at this point for a reason and I am glad that for once in my life I didn't wait to have everything figured out before I made a move. Not having everything taken care of to a T for once has definitely helped increase my faith and helped me to truly see my Heavenly Father's hand in every aspect of my life. Like a normal person, there are always aspects of belief that I struggle with; however, I do know that my Heavenly Father loves me, protects me, and guides me. I know that the Holy Ghost, the Book of Mormon, and the Prophet are all concrete proof of those facts and I am so glad that I have a family who, even though sometimes begrudgingly, loves me and supports me no matter what.

Professional Sittings...

Duane & Shannon with their beautiful blessings :)

So I definitely feel that when someone is a good photographer, he/she deserves to be paid accordingly. With this in mind, I also believe that if someone sucks, he/she should still be paid accordingly.

While in Arizona visiting my brother, Duane and his wife, Shannon, we went with them to get family pictures done and to get pictures of John and Bradlie. The main purposes of this trip were the family shots and shots of Bradlie though, seeing as she is the newest member of the family :)

Duane and Shannon have been going to this place (which I will leave unnamed since I don't think I know anyone else out in Maricopa, AZ) since John was born, to get pictures done and for a good reason. The guy they went to at this studio is AMAZING and they have always had creative shots of a smiling child and LOTS of variety to choose from.

Apparently this guy realized he was talented enough to leave this place...and did so, unknown to us.

As we tried to get good family shots with a screaming 1 month old and suggest poses to this "professional," I had a realization. (I have been having a lot of these lately; experiences I have determine my opinion on aspects of life that may not affect me for years to come, but that I am none the less resolute about now.) Here is my realization:

1. I do not want to pay some stranger who does not care about me or my family to capture the love that we have for one another. I will not be a paycheck for someone, but the ability to share a gift, with the bonus of getting paid to do so.

2. I will not have pictures done in some bland studio with pictures in the background of somewhere we would "like" to be. Boring. I want pictures done somewhere that is actually important, somewhere that matters to us. Whether it be a vacation spot, our home, or some other location that has, for some reason, become dear to our hearts, the location of our pictures will be just as pivotal as the people who are in them.

3. I will not be charged extra for one simple button being clicked 3 times. Now here me out. I understand that there is plenty of technology that a photographer has, that I do not and that I would probably not find much use for; I accept paying more for those abilities. I also understand that when pictures are touched up, it can take time and effort to do it properly; I accept paying for this ability as well. However, when I can stand next to you and watch you click a button to make a picture black and white or color splash, I will not pay more money for these pictures. They are on the same paper, require the same type of ink, and are the same size as all of our other pictures and did not take more time to produce.

4. If you describe your services as innovative, PROVE IT! If we wanted pictures that looked like the school photographer took them, we would have called him. He would be cheaper and we would get one of those little black combs to "fix" our hair with right before we sit on that too short for midgets black stool and place our feet on the appropriate x's.

I won't bore you by posting good and bad of our session out in Arizona, but I will post some of my favs of my niece and nephew. Yes these aren't bad, but trust me - they were the ONLY good ones (and I edited them some as well)...

John Henry & Bradlie Elise

...he got a little excited about "fuzzy pickles"

Beautiful Bradlie:

Pretty in Pink

*Holding tight to Mommy*